hardware

What type of computer is usable

Almost any, as long as it is running some version of Windows, Mac O.S., Aqua or Linux.
We recommend you to use a reasonably fast computer, since rewarping images and blending them are quite CPU intensive. A slower computer just means a longer wait, though.

Memory Matters

While a fast processor will speed up the creation of digital panoramas, memory seems to be the single most important hardware requirement. I've stitched 6 and 8 frame panorama's together with as little as 512MB when I had a 3MPix camera, but with my new 8MPix, I can't process more than 3 images with 512MB. Jumping up to 1GB of RAM let's me build and manipulate huge digital files. Remember, image manipulation software nearly always stores images in memory uncompressed, so my 3MPix images (2048 x 1536) take up 24MB of RAM. Jeff 21:33, 7 Dec 2004 (EST)

However, if you have a large enough hard disk 1 GB of RAM seems enough for all tasks. Both photoshop and PTStitcher use the hard disk heavily. I managed to stich a 30 layer 16 bit 4,000x50,000 pixel panorama on my 1GB Athlon 1400 machine. It took forever and a day not only to stitch but to load into photoshop, too. Photoshop used 23GB of scratch disk but work was suprisingly smooth. Erik Krause 05:51, 30 Apr 2005 (EDT)

Fisheye conversion lenses

~185-190 degrees field of view with a standard lens at 35mm (this is not only for Nikon, I used this with my Canon PS A75.. you need a 52mm >> 46mm adapter ring.. with that it works great with Canon or whatever you want)

Filters

Tripods / Monopods

The tripod is extremely strong, tall, and incorporates a ball head that can be used to quickly level a head - though this does require somewhat of a 'knack' to get the hang of.

Essentially, for just over $200 you can get a really large, strong tripod, with levelling feature. Only downside for me is the weight, but I cannot justify spending 3x the price to get a carbon fibre version!

Stu

Panoramic Heads

When combining multiple images, it is critical that each image be captured from the same point of view. This optical center of the lens is commonly called the nodal point, although it is more correctly referred to as the entrance pupil. The nodal point is located inside the lens; in the wide angle lenses used for panoramic imaging, the entrance pupil tends to be near the front of the lens.

A standard tripod mount rotates the camera around the mounting screw in the camera; the simplest nodal point adapter simply shifts the camera back to move the lens's nodal point over the axis of rotation. More complicated brackets allow the camera to rotate vertically around the nodal point around the nodal point as well as horizontally.